Everybody poops. When you gotta go you gotta go. Pardon me while I freshen up. Yo, I gotta drop a deuce. Whatever your lingo, going to the
bathroom in public can be a stressful experience, beset with difficulty locating a clean and accessible toilet. Obviously there is no place like home (or at least a place you know and trust). When you are out in public, though, we all know how disgusting rest stops, gas stations, restaurants, sporting events, movie theatres(the wooooorst), malls and countless other public bathrooms can be. This is where Buzz Pirates’ Practical Survival Guide comes in. We look at the places that we think are the best for you to go when you are on the go. Some of the choices are obvious, but some are bathroom choices you may not have realized were simple and available. Happy pooping!
Our top ten has been scored based on three primary categories:
Stress: Chance of being bothered in or en route, sneakiness required
Accessibility: Ease of finding initial place, ease of finding bathroom once inside location
Cleanliness: Self-explanatory
10. Museum – Hey, why not? Original right? Well, a museum is quiet, clean and with routine upkeep its likely that you’ll find a nice clean bathroom. Although its possible that it could be an older style bathroom that never seems totally clean. Problems arise in many bigger museums which require an entrance fee or suggested donations or tiny museums with little to no upkeep. Also, the overall availability of museums is limited, finding one might be a matter of luck in a town/city you are not familiar with. We suggest something med
ium or smaller in size to minimize dealing with employees. Stress – 6; Access – 2; Cleanliness – 6. SCORE – 14
9. Restaurant – Ever run into a restaurant just to use the bathroom? Of course you have! There’s not shortage of them around, but the key is to avoid fast food places (filthy restrooms) or low volume/fancy restaurants (too much of a chance of staff budding in). Overall its an ok, if not inspired choice… and the problem is that even the nicest restaurants can still have gross bathrooms. (Just ask Britney Spears – that’s her leaving a Quiznos bathroom). Stress – 4; Access – 10; Cleanliness – 2. SCORE – 16
8. Bank – This is a difficult one, but still good. The bathrooms are low traffic and more importantly kept clean. This is due to the fact that banks are big on customer service these days when it comes to simple things. Problem is, that customer service means that in most banks someone will bother you before you can sneak into the bathroom. The best bet in these situations is pick a big bank with easier maneuverability or bite the bullet and simply ask an overzealous manager where the toilet is. Stress – 2; Access – 9; Cleanliness – 6. SCORE – 17
7. Coffee Shop – Its easy to walk into your local coffee shop, Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks and make a B-line for the bathroom without being hassled. Plus with little food, the bathrooms should be relatively clear of too much mess and regularly kept up. Stress – 8; Access – 9; Cleanliness – 2. SCORE – 19
6. School – Obviously Buzz Pirates does not advocate walking into strange grade schools and using the bathroom…that’s just creepy. No, look for a college…any college, doesn’t matter if its Harvard, your local tech college or community college. Finding the bathroom on school grounds may take a little longer then you like. Still, find anywhere large enough that you can walk around a little bit without presenting a school ID and your set. Go School! Stress – 7; Access – 6; Cleanliness – 7. SCORE – 20
5. Municipal Building (Townhall/Court) – I know, the thought of it seems a little nerve racking. Who’d think to go to a municipal building just to go to the bathroom. But, with very traffic in most municipal buildings and people tending to mind their own business, if you just quickly get in and get out you should be fine. The stress level might be slightly higher here, but its a great option. Maybe you’ll get a peak into traffic court if your lucky… if not, there must be some good reading material, like a pamphlet on local events, joining the municipal pool or a schedule of trash pick up…enjoy. Stress – 4; Access – 9; Cleanliness – 8. SCORE – 21
4. Department Store – Whether you are talking about Macy’s, Nordstrom’s or any other classic mall department store or a big box discount store like Target, Best Buy or Walmart. In the mall its a cleaner, less busy option then the regular public bathroom. Free standing huge discount stores are everywhere. Best of all department stores are relatively well maintained, easy to find the bathroom and no one working there would even notice if you came in just to use the facilities. Stress – 9; Access – 8; Cleanliness – 5. SCORE – 22
3. Bookstore/Library – Quiet, clean, no one will bother you and all the reading material you could ever want. This would be the top choice if this option was more assessable in a pinch. I’m a huge fan of the Barnes and Nobles option. Stress – 9; Access – 6; Cleanliness – 9. SCORE – 23
2. Office Building - Regularly cleaned, plentiful and endless in supply all over the country, office buildings are a super strong choice. The only possible problem I can see is a doorman. Our insiders have also reported an increase in number code or key locked bathrooms, but the unlocked, clean, well stocked oasis exists in your town and in Everytown…we guarantee it. Stress – 6; Access – 8; Cleanliness – 10. SCORE – 24
1. Hotel – Now, its got to be a nice hotel, at the very least a hotel with a lobby. The common area bathrooms are cleaned just as much as
theprivate room bathrooms, and they are less likely to be used for anything too intimate or anything bound to create a mess. The larger the hotel the better. Hopefully you aren’t immediately confronted upon entry by a front desk, bellhop or other staff member, but if you are chances are they will bend over backwards to help you out. Any hotel lobby or main floor should have a bathroom, plus hotels are easy to find everywhere. Play your cards right and you might even get a bathroom attendant – which I hate in restaurants and bars, but in a hotel it can be sorta classy – and you get free stuff! You might be slightly nervous walking into a hotel that you have no business in and it might help to be dressed nice, but have confidence and you will see why a Hotel is our number 1 place to use a bathroom in public. Stress – 7; Access – 9; Cleanliness – 10. SCORE – 26